All Stories
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HumansGamers crave control and competence, not carnage
Study turns belief commonly held by video game industry, gamers, on its head.
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EarthLivestock manure stinks for infant health
Megafarm production associated with infant illness and death rates.
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HumansStimulus Bill Calls for Money and Transparency
Congress wants to make sure accountability for economic-stimulus funds doesn't vanish the way it has in the recent bank-bailout program.
By Janet Raloff -
HumansSalazar II: On Freeing Ms. Liberty’s Crown
A New Jersey senator pleaded with the incoming Interior Secretary to reopen the Statue of Liberty's crown.
By Janet Raloff -
HumansSalazar I: The Value of Science at Interior
Flawed Endangered Species Act decisions brought out a request for the Interior Secretary nominee to promise to ground future decisions by the agency firmly on the science.
By Janet Raloff -
LifeFor worms, one gene can change survival behavior
Natural differences in a single gene cause worms to either eat or avoid harmful bacteria.
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SpaceWhiff of Martian methane offers lively possibilities
The definitive discovery in Mars’ atmosphere of methane — often, but not always, a compound hinting at life — introduces the possibility of underground organisms.
By Ron Cowen -
LifeCapuchin monkeys choose the right tool for the nut
New field experiments indicate that wild capuchin monkeys choose the most effective stones for cracking nuts, suggesting deep evolutionary roots for the use of stone tools.
By Bruce Bower -
Nix the Vicks
A century old treatment for soothing the nasal congestion associated with colds and flu may poses risks to infants, a new study finds.
By Janet Raloff -
Health & MedicineUsing checklist reduces surgery complications
Measure twice, cut once: Going over a checklist of procedures in the operating room before and after surgery lowers the complication rate and, in developing countries, saves lives, a study in eight hospitals shows.
By Nathan Seppa -
EarthWorld’s windiest ocean locale
News briefs from the American Meteorological Society annual meeting being held January 11–15 in Phoenix.
By Sid Perkins -
Health & MedicineOmega-3 fatty acid is early boost for female preemies
DHA given to newborns in the first weeks following birth improves brain development in girls, but not boys.
By Nathan Seppa